The recently concluded international exhibition, Homo Ludens: The Art of Play, held at the Museum of Goa (MOG), celebrated the universal language of play, bringing together over 100 artworks by 90-plus artists from India and the Netherlands. This initiative, supported by the Fonds Voor Cultuur Participatie International Collaboration 2022-2024 grant, highlighted the cultural bridge built through the shared joy and creativity of play. Spread across three shows—Homo Ludens: खेल-Spel, Cycle Diaries, and Joint Jesters—the exhibition explored themes ranging from childhood nostalgia to collaborative artistry. Among the featured segments, Cycle Diaries: A Photo Exhibition stood out for its vibrant depiction of bicycles as symbols of play and resilience in everyday life.
One of the most striking contributions to Cycle Diaries came from West Bengal’s postmaster and photographer, Arpan Basu Chowdhury, whose evocative photograph Small Bill, Big Thrill earned third place. Chowdhury’s work captures the essence of simplicity and joy, resonating deeply with the exhibition’s theme. His unique perspective, shaped by his role as a postmaster in the Sundarbans, adds layers of narrative depth to his photography. In this interview, Chowdhury reflects on his journey, his creative process, and the impact of his recognition at MOG, while offering insights for aspiring photographers.
1) Could you share the story of your photography journey? What first inspired you to explore this art form?
Arpan Basu Chowdhury: I was in Rajasthan with a friend of mine in 2016, at that time he was into photography and I was not. I had a basic Android phone back then and was clicking photos with that. It was the start.
From childhood, I was attracted to India’s cultural and natural diversity and literature. I loved to write. Now with a changing and digitalizing world where people are shifting towards audiovisual content, I thought why should I not tell what I want to tell through photos and videos?
2. How did your time at India Post in the Sundarbans influence your photography, from shaping your style and subject choices to connecting with the vibrant local communities and capturing stories that left a lasting impact on your work?
Arpan Basu Chowdhury: My first posting was on an island in the Sunderbans. The Sunderbans is not just about the Royal Bengal tigers or the fact that it is the largest mangrove grove in the world, it is also about the challenges her dwellers face every day to survive. From my chair, I could see snake-bitten women being carried on shoulders to a makeshift health centre just opposite my office. I regularly witnessed women in labour being transported to the block hospital in general ferries and motor vans, making them highly exposed and vulnerable to health risks.
With every cyclone or flood, the Sunderbans are the first place to get affected. I have seen houses washed away by floods with my own eyes. I joined at the time of the first wave of COVID-19. I saw how difficult it is to survive in those remote islands.
Every day, I had to cross three rivers and use three motor vans to reach my office from where I stayed. The distance by land was only seven kilometres, but there was no road. The one that was there had long been destroyed by rising water levels and climate change.
Most of the men are honey collectors or fishermen, who went to the restricted forests and often fell prey to the only man-eating tiger in the world. When they left their homes, their family did not expect them to come back. So, before they left, they worshipped the local gods and goddesses, hugged each other and cried. Every goodbye could be the last one.
There are a few villages, which are called ‘Widow Villages’ as the male population is very less as most of them have fallen prey to tigers or crocodiles.
Still, I found the most humble and loveable people there. They found happiness in the smallest possible positivity. Their smiles are as innocent as babies. And I learned the most important lesson of my life.
I started documenting life in the islands and tried to portray the Sunderbans in a way that one outside the Sunderbans cannot see, and when people think life hit them hard, they can take Sunderbans as an example, to sit back, and restart or regather the energy to fight back harder.
3. Can you walk us through your creative process when capturing a photograph, and how you prioritize aspects like storytelling to weave compelling narratives into your images?
Arpan Basu Chowdhury: I want to create a happier world with my photos. I want to cover stories with inspiration, which can make people smile or can make someone motivated or inspired to do some good deeds.
I try to capture the mood of my subjects, mainly the happy and the joyous moods. And how amongst all adversities they keep on going and are happy. I love to capture the ‘happiness index’ with my photos.
4) Your photograph ‘Small Bill, Big Thrill’ earned third place in the ‘Cycle Diaries: A Photo Exhibition’ at the Museum of Goa’s ‘Homo Ludens: Art of Play’ exhibition. What inspired this piece?
Arpan Basu Chowdhury: Cycles are quintessentially related to our everyday life which was also the idea celebrated by the Museum of Goa’s ‘Cycle Diaries: A Photo Exhibition’. Somehow it manages to serve a very crucial as well as lazy-day-essential role in our lives, especially in the middle and lower middle-class discourse of a sub-continent. I can’t share most of my childhood and adolescent memories without mentioning my bicycle. This sight inspired me to look back and from the depth of my past, a part of mine made me feel the urge to capture it.
5) What was it like to receive recognition for your work? How has this achievement amongst several Indian and Dutch artists at the Museum of Goa’s Homo Ludens exhibition influenced you personally and professionally?
Arpan Basu Chowdhury: Well, every recognition is special and receiving it from the Museum of Goa (MOG) made it even more so. Ever since I started photography, I have heard about MOG and exhibiting there was a dream. Now, I can say a dream has truly come true.
Adding an achievement and an exhibit in MOG will surely make my portfolio stronger. Many curators and industry stalwarts now get to know my work, so it’s indeed a big achievement.
6) Were there any notable challenges you faced while preparing for the exhibition? How did you overcome them?
Arpan Basu Chowdhury: As I knew many great artists were submitting images for the contest at the Museum of Goa, coupled with the perspectives and vision of the eminent judges of ‘Cycle Diaries: A Photo Exhibition’, I knew my image had to be a good one to make it to the final selection. I chose this image as I liked the colour flow. The notion of childhood and play was there. I thought this was the best one that met the theme of the contest, so I submitted it.
7) What are your plans or projects for the future? Are there particular themes or subjects you are eager to explore next?
Arpan Basu Chowdhury: As I said, I love to document people. I am working on a few projects which share a bigger interest in our social well-being. I wish them to come out as I envision it.
8) How do you balance your professional responsibilities as a postmaster with your passion for photography?
Arpan Basu Chowdhury: I never thought about getting a job. However, it was fate that guided me here and I am enjoying this journey as much as I do my voyage in the field of photography. Being an employee of India Post provides me with the chance to connect with people belonging to remote areas. It helps me with a wider vision and a broader perspective. I love capturing moments, narrating stories and sharing the values I imbibe.
To maintain my photography career, my superiors and colleagues help me immensely. These people are like family to me and always inspire me to maintain my passion. For example, a few days back I was invited to Paris Photo 2024, and as a government employee, I needed to take an NOC from my divisional head. With the combined help of everyone at the division office, I got my NOC within 24 hours. You can imagine how cooperative and supportive my superiors are.
9) What advice would you offer to aspiring photographers who aim to make a meaningful impact through their art?
Arpan Basu Chowdhury: Just follow your heart, and always keep your vision open to everything. Do not just see things, try to feel its soul. Visual grammar is always the base but do not just blindly proceed. Search for stories. Check out the works of renowned photographers. Inspire yourself. If you are inspired, you can inspire others with your art.
Feature Image: ‘Small Bill, Big Thrill’, Arpan Basu Chowdhury’s third place winning image at ‘Cycle Diaries: A Photo Exhibition’, a part of ‘Homo Ludens: The Art of Play’ art exhibition at the Museum of Goa, Pilerne| Courtesy: MOG
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